Question

a researcher is testing a new drug in mice and notices that after treatment with the drug, the mice have elevated blood calcium levels. what is a possible side effect of this drug? group of answer choices the drug may disrupt the positive feedback loop between parathyroid hormone and blood calcium. the drug may stimulate the pancreas to secrete more of the hormone insulin, which triggers an increase in calcium reabsorption in the kidneys. the drug may stimulate the parathyroid gland to release parathyroid hormone, which triggers calcium absorption in the intestines and kidneys.

Answer 1

Elevated blood calcium levels in mice treated with a new drug may indicate stimulation of PTH release, affecting bone, kidney, and intestinal calcium absorption and potentially leading to hyperparathyroidism.

Step-by-step explanation:

A researcher observing elevated blood calcium levels in mice after treatment with a new drug could infer that a possible side effect of this drug is the stimulation of the parathyroid gland to release parathyroid hormone (PTH), which leads to increased blood calcium levels. The physiological mechanism involves PTH stimulating osteoclasts to reabsorb bone, thus releasing calcium into the blood. Additionally, PTH enhances the reabsorption of calcium in the kidneys and, via the synthesis of calcitriol, increases dietary calcium absorption in the intestines. An overproduction of PTH can lead to conditions like hyperparathyroidism, which can cause a decrease in bone density and spontaneous fractures due to the excessive breakdown of bone tissue.